Finnair opens routes to Xi’an and Hanoi

HONG KONG – This week Finnair begins flying to Hanoi and Xi’an, further sharpening the airline’s strategic focus on transfer traffic between Asia and Europe. Currently the only European carrier offering direct connections between the two cities and Europe, Finnair also offers fast and efficient transfers to more than 60 European destinations via its Helsinki hub. Finnair will operate service to both cities three times a week throughout the summer schedule season, until October 26 for Xi’an and October 27 for Hanoi.

“This week marks an important milestone in Finnair’s 90 years of history, as we build on a legacy of building better connections between Europe and Asia and bring our total number of Asian destinations to 13,” says CEO Pekka Vauramo. “Strong economic growth in China and Vietnam, combined with a growing appetite for outbound travel from both destinations, are driving our strategic focus on Asian traffic. There continue to be many exciting opportunities for growth in the East.”

Finnair has gradually built on its Asian strategy during the past two decades, taking advantage of the geographical position of its Helsinki hub on the shortest routes between the great cities of Asia and more than 60 European destinations. In addition to Xi’an and Hanoi, Finnair operates to Bangkok, Beijing, Chongqing, Delhi, Hong Kong, Nagoya, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. The airline’s service and timetables are optimised for transfer traffic.

Finnair is the first airline to provide Xi’an with direct connections to Europe, and also the only European airline currently serving Hanoi.